PENNSYLVANIA – Muslim fiction despite being around for centuries has not made ground breaking changes. Having said that, Tight Rope might change the status quo. The political thriller has been called a timely piece. It centers on an American Muslim Woman named Nour Ibrahim. She is an activist who has earned the attention of unsavory people while also dealing with personal issues. As she deals with all these tests, she wonders what has been ordained for her; the end game. Will she prevail or will she be another martyr fighting oppression from islamophobes, racists, bigots and what not?

The author, Sahar Abdulaziz, shared one of her reasons for writing the hard hitting content.

She told MVSLIM that racism, bigotry, the normalizing of prejudice and hate played a huge role. She also added that the systemic and epidemic ‘othering’ of anyone deemed outside of the normative, and the trivializing and historical erasure of pain caused by the fostering of stereotypes and racist dialogue also pushed her in penning Tight Rope.

MORE VALID REASONS

“I wrote Tight Rope because of the way my beautiful sisters’ – day after day, year after year have been forced to face down this dehumanization and disrespect – inside and outside of the masjid by Muslims and non-Muslims … attacked and hurt over and over again by this inexcusable behavior. It’s revolting, inhumane, and haram. Allah and His Prophet [PBUH] have instructed that we speak the truth no matter who it offends – So be it,” Abdulaziz said.

The novel is not a preachy or religious read. It can easily fit in the contemporary fiction genre. The characters just happen to be Muslims facing normal day to day challenges.

In writing Tight Rope, Abdulaziz seeks to denounce the more subtle forms of racism our society often turns a blind eye on. But from full-blown racists’ overt tactics to casual racists’ microagressions, the author leaves no stones unturned to portray that racism is in fact terrorism as it inflicts intimidation and mental trauma on the targeted victims.

The author is also well aware that she wrote Tight Rope from an outsider point of view looking in. But she felt like it was necessary that she denounced the pain and erasure people of color face on a regular basis. Only time will tell whether or not Tight Rope will create a change of hearts in racists and bigots. However, Abdulaziz is sure of one thing. “The fight against racism will be an ongoing struggle, but it is a battle that cannot be ignored away or protected through either erasure or historical revisionism,” she told MVSLIM.

Her purpose as a writer is to fight oppression wherever she sees it. A warrior with a pen, Abdulaziz has already been intimidated by some not so innocent individuals because Tight Rope centers on a touchy subject; racism of all kinds. It’s an epidemic and it has to stop.

Tight Rope launches on June 1st 2017. You can buy a copy on Amazon or Fofky’s online book café.

Papatia Feauxzar is the Love & Relationship Editor of Hayati Magazine. Feauxzar is also a Muslim Publisher and an American author of West African descent living in Dallas, Texas with her son and husband. She holds a master’s degree in Accounting with a concentration in Personal Finance. After working as an accountant for a corporate firm for almost five years, Feauxzar decided to pursue Accounting from home while homeschooling her son. You can visit her website at www.djarabikitabs.com.